Azolla caroliniana

Fairy moss, Mosquito Fern

                                   
   ID#565
 
 
 

Additional Information: Obtained at  The Plant Farm, New Bern, NC. The tiny fern came attached to purchased water plants.

 

This tiny fern makes a cover carpet in my water container garden inside the Glasshouse.

In barely a month, what it was a few plants floating turned into a almost solid cover.


The fern protects the gold fish from overheated water.


I have been advice not to let it escape from the contained environment, it tend to be invasive.

HEIGHT X SPREAD: tiny, 1/8”x1/8” detached plants multiply fast. PLANT TYPE: Evergreen GROWTH RATE: Rapid TEXTURE: fine LIGHT: full sun WATER: water plant SOIL: N/A
As observed in Coastal NC. BLOOMS: N/A FRUIT AND SEED: N/A KEY FEATURES: detached plants multiply with time.
A year cycle in the life of ...... at Mooring Hitch The plant thrives in the glasshouse so far. It shares the water container with two gold fish, water hyacints, rain palm and sagittaria. I periodically scoop out a few of the plants to see the fish swim, otherwise the cover carpet is solid. I read the fern is consider “Fish Candy” I do not think my fish eat enough of it. The water is clear and never too hot so far. It may be a challenge during summer months to maintain a low temperature both for fish and plants. Nice water cover plant however, when I no longer wished to keep fish the plant went with the water bath.
          Mooring Hitch Gardens       
 

Sept. 2010

June 2012